The Not-So-Chunky Goat

Ever since our latest issue with Dym the senior goat, she's been on the thin side. If you are familiar with goats you'll know that they can seemingly loose half their weight over night and then take months to gain it back. This has been the case with dear old Dym. Perhaps it's because she's a nubian and they are naturally more "dainty" than the meat goats (which her robust babies are half). So thus I started my journey into fattening up a goat. The internet revealed many ways to get weight on a goat and I chose a few to start doing. For one, she's getting two cups of black oil sunflower seeds a day....which she thoroughly enjoys along with a cup of alfalfa pellets and a cup of goat chow. I also read about the benefits of adding beet pulp to her daily ration. Beet pulp is a bi product of the sugar beet industry. Once the sugar is removed from the beet, the left over pulp is dried and shredded. It's full of fiber and is comparable to high quality forages. It's ideal for older animals that might have dental issues since it's made into a mash.

 I bought a 50lb bag a few weeks ago and have slowly been getting her used to taste of soaked beet pulp. I soak it in the morning and she comes running when she sees me with her bowl of mash. She's doing great with it and I almost think she's gained a bit of weight already. Go Dym!

I soak about 3/4 cup for 2 hours with hot water.

Mmmmm.....tasty!

It's a mad dash for the fence when she sees me coming.

Nom nom nom.